Gonorrhea cases increasing in Nunavut: Health Department
Health officials urge safe sex, fewer partners, testing
If you have symptoms of gonorrhea, Nunavut’s Health Department advises you to visit your nearby health centre, such as the Kitikmeot Health Centre in Cambridge Bay, seen here. (Photo by Jane George)
Some Nunavut communities, especially those in the western Kitikmeot region of the territory, have seen an increase in the number of cases of gonorrhea, says Nunavut’s Health Department.
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection spread through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex.
To prevent the spread of gonorrhea, the GN advises practising safer sex, such as wearing a condom, getting tested and “being mindful about your sexual partners.”
That’s because the more partners you have, the more at risk you are, the GN said this week in a public health advisory.
Gonorrhea is treatable with antibiotics.
But if it’s not treated it can cause chronic pelvic pain in women and infertility in both men and women.
As well, people with untreated gonorrhea are at greater risk of getting another sexually transmitted infection.
If you think you have gonorrhea or another sexually transmitted infection, the GN advises contacting your health worker for a test.
Common symptoms of gonorrhea in men include discharge from the penis. In women, symptoms include pain while urinating or vaginal discharge. Many individuals have no symptoms with gonorrhea but are still at risk of complications.
In 2017, the last year for which numbers are available, Nunavut recorded 545 cases of gonorrhea: 230 cases in men and 315 cases in women.
This article put on the news is suppose to be confidential! Especially targeting Nunavut and the community of Cambridge Bay. This confidential issue has been leaked to Nunavut news and Nortbeat. Someone from the Department of Health has broken confidentiality.
No one has been named, there’s no confidentiality broken in this
Ummm, nope. You are completely mistaken on this. There have been zero violation of privacy, and the photo that was used was purely as an example, as is clear from the text.
Public awareness is a necessity for all as health concern. The article doesn’t specify Cam Bay though the picture says if you have symptoms to go to a Health Centre (like the one pictured here), “advises you to visit your nearby health centre, such as the Kitikmeot Health Centre in Cambridge Bay, seen here. “
The confidentiality refers to individual people not whole towns. People have a right to know if there is a public health concern which could affect them. STD’s are like mental illness. No one wants to talk about it like it’s a dirty little secret. These are diseases/illnesses regardless how you got it or developed it. Grow up!